


Green House Serpents

by oliviiaiines



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Harry Potter, BAMF Tom Riddle, Dark Harry Potter, Dark Magic, F/M, Gay, Good Slytherins, Harry Potter & Tom Riddle Attend Hogwarts Together, Harry has PTSD, Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets, Horcruxes, Hurt/Comfort, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Jealous Tom Riddle, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Manipulative Harry, Manipulative Tom Riddle, Possessive Tom Riddle, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slug Club, Slytherin, Slytherin Harry Potter, Slytherins Being Slytherins, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tom Riddle has PTSD, Tom Riddles diary
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 09:49:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11734548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oliviiaiines/pseuds/oliviiaiines
Summary: There, on his forearm, etched in dark black letters read his name, Tom M. Riddle.-Set in 1945, Harry Potter is left an orphan after his village is attacked by Grinderlwald and his followers. Harry seeks refuge at Hogwarts, where he quickly finds himself entangled with a group of Slytherins who are intelligent, obsessive and eventually murderous.





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**  


for those of you who read the first chapter when i first published this work, it was very different. I was unhappy with the chapter and had little inspiration to continue working on this story. However, I have rewritten the chapter, and decided to publish it here, since there are many of you who have wished I continue writing it. I actually published this newly improved chapter on it's own, but decided i'd rather edit it into this work, since the story line was similar.  

 I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

 

**_June 29, 1945_ **

_Headmaster Armando Dippet,_

_My name is Harry Potter. I am fifteen years old and from England. I am British by birth and I suppose by nature as well. I grew up in Palotin, a small village surprisingly close to London. Up until now I have been homeschooled by my parents. I have no brothers or sisters._

_Two weeks ago my village was attacked by Grindelwald and his followers. Me and a local wandmaker were the only people to survive. I am an orphan now._

_Due to my current status, I do not have a home nor a school to attend. My mother, Amandora Potter, and father, Edmund Potter, both attended Hogwarts. Their reasoning for not enrolling me when I was eleven is still a mystery to me. Regardless, they have spoken fondly of you and their time at Hogwarts. Attached to this letter you will find what my parents have taught me thus far, as well as my full record which I received from the Ministry of Magic._

_I suppose it is rather clear that I am trying to enroll at Hogwarts, I hope that you will accept my application...._

_Harry James Potter_

* * *

_September 1, 1945_

Harry Potter stood at the platform nine and three quarters, watching as students around him twisted through the large crowd at the platform. Steam from the engine of the Hogwarts express covered them all in white mist. He felt a pang in his heart as next to him, a little girl hugged her teary eyed mother before she boarded the train.

Harry had sent a letter to the headmaster of Hogwarts about two months ago. Surprisingly, he had received an acceptance letter as well as a long, letter full of pity and the headmasters condolences the next day. Arriving at Hogwarts had been the only thing on his mind that whole summer, and had kept him rather optimistic as he spent most of the summer locked away at a random hotel in Diagon Alley.

Truthfully he had been haunted by the events that happened at the beginning of the summer which had left him one, an orphan and two, homeless.

Breaking away from his thoughts, Harry quickly boarded the train as the conductor blew the whistle and went to find a (hopefully empty) compartment. The compartments and halls of the train were already full of other students, many of which were laughing rather hysterically and greeting each other after the long summer break. Many of them paid no attention to Harry, but some shot him a confused look, not recognizing the older student. To his relief, Harry found an empty compartment toward the end of the train and sat down, preparing himself for the long ride to Hogwarts.

* * *

Stepping off the train the castle was in plain view. It was huge and beautifully lit. To Harry, who had barely ever left his village-except to go to Diagon Alley occasionally- the castle felt like something out of a dream. A little dazed, Harry barely heard someone calling his name.

”Potter.”

Harry turned around, behind him, a girl about his age was walking quickly towards him. She was tall, with blonde hair and sharp features. “Harry Potter?” The girl asked once she had caught up to Harry.

”That's me, yeah,” Harry said, extending his hand for her to shake.

”Soren Finn, pleasure to meet you.” Soren said, shaking Harry’s hand firmly. ( _Harry noted how mugglish her name sounded_ ).

”You too,”

Letting go of Harry’s hand, Soren motioned for the two to keep walking.

”Professor Dumbledore asked me to help you find your way to his office.” She explained.

”Great thanks a lot,” Harry said, smiling gently. The two walked in a slightly uncomfortable silence. From the corner of his eye, Harry studied her. She was pretty, with blue eyes and sharp cheekbones, Harry found himself wondering if she had a boyfriend.

”What brings you to Hogwarts?” Soren asked.

”The war,” Harry said truthfully, looking straight ahead at the students in front of him. He could feel Soren look at him.

”I’m sorry…” she said, and it sounded like she meant it.

”Its uh… okay…” Harry said awkwardly. “So what year are you in?” he asked, eager to change the subject before she started asking more questions.

”Seventh, so it’s my last year here…” she said, smiling.

”What are you planning on doing after you graduate?”

”I want to be an auror,” she said confidently, “but my parents are _encouraging_ me to become a healer…”

Harry didn’t say anything.

“What about you? What year are you in?” Soren asked.

“Sixth.”

“Ah! You’re lucky then, you don’t have to worry about OWLS or NEWTS.”

Harry smiled. The walk to the castle wasn’t too long and Soren kept asking him polite questions to pass the time.

“What house do you think you’ll be sorted into?” She asked as they neared the front doors of the castle.

“I don’t know… I read about the houses in Hogwarts: A History-”

“-that book is horrendously boring” Soren interrupted.

“Right…” Harry said giving her a fake smile, “if I had to guess then maybe Ravenclaw or Slytherin…”

“Well i’m in Gryffindor,” Soren said a little too confidently in Harry’s opinion. “Maybe you’ll be sorted into our house instead, it’d be great to know you a little better. You could even tryout for our quidditch team so then we could see each other all the time…” Harry was beginning to get the feeling that Soren had little to no friends.

“Yeah that would be cool,” he said politely, as the students in front of them stopped in front of the entrance to the castle. The large oak doors opened loudly, and Harry once again felt an overwhelming amount of amazement and wonder as he walked into the castle. The sounds of laughter and quick footsteps echoed around the halls as the students made their way through the castle. Harry admired the numerous paintings of famous wizards on the walls whose eyes followed the students.

He felt a tug on his robe sleeve and turned his head to look at a smiling Soren, who nudged her head toward an empty hallway, “this way.”  
The two broke away from the rest of the students and quickly made through the lantern lit hallways. They stopped in front of brown, wooden door and Soren knocked lightly. Harry was careful not to let his nervousness show as the door quickly opened to reveal silver bearded man with half moon spectacles.

“Ah Ms.Finn! Just in time,” he said kindly, opening the door more for Harry and Soren to enter. The office was small but very cozy, with a fire lit by a huge desk and shelves upon shelves full of books everywhere Harry looked.

“And you must be Harry Potter,” The professor said, gesturing for Harry to take a seat in front of the large desk. Soren remained standing.

“My name is Albus Dumbledore, I’m head of the Gryffindor house and teach transfiguration.” Dumbledore said as he sat down.

“Nice to meet you,” Harry said politely.

Turning his attention to Soren, “Thank you for your help Ms.Finn, five points to Gryffindor. Now hurry back to the great hall so you don’t miss the sorting of the new students,” Dumbledore said.

“See you around Harry,” Soren said quickly before leaving the office.

”Now I can imagine you are exhausted and a little peckish after your journey here,” Dumbledore said, “so I’ll make this as fast as possible so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the feast.”

Harry nodded curtly.

“I do not mean to bring past trauma up but as I understand it your parents were killed after Grindelwald attacked your village?” Dumbledore asked softly.

“Yes.”

“My condolences, we have recently had a noticeable amount of new students enroll at Hogwarts because of the war-” there was a slight pause as Dumbledore looked at Harry, who shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “- I’m sure you are aware of the support the school offers for orphaned students?”

“Yes.” Harry said. All his books, quills, parchment and robes were paid for by the school -even though Harry’s parents had left him with some money- Harry had happily accepted the free supplies.

“Now then, hopefully Soren filled you in on everything you need to know about Hogwarts,”

“Somewhat yes, but I did read Hogwarts: A History before my arrival.” Harry said.

“Excellent! Though I do agree with most of the students about how the book is written in a boring manor, it is very useful.”

Harry didn’t say anything to this.

”Now I must remind you Harry, the house you will be sorted into will serve as a family for the years you spend at Hogwarts. If I am not mistaken you will be going into sixth year?”

”Yes,” Harry said.

”Wonderful, I’m sure you’ll make great friends,” Dumbledore smiled to which Harry politely smiled back.

“The book didn’t mention how students are sorted however,” Harry inquired.

”Ah! The sorting itself is always an aura of mystery to the new students,” Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling, “we use a very ancient sorting hat, one which was used by the very founders of Hogwarts to sort the students.” From a shelf behind him Dumbledore pulled out a rather saggy hat.

Walking around the table, Dumbledore placed the hat onto Harry’s head. ”Lets hope this doesn’t take longer than a few minutes,” Harry heard him mutter. The large hat fell over his eyes and Harry couldn’t see anything.

”Mr.Potter, aren’t you an interesting one,” a voice murmured in Harry’s mind, making him jerk forward slightly.

”I feel an overpowering amount of great intellect and ambition but also bravery and loyalty. There is a thirst, a thirst to prove yourself… I see great things before you, no matter the path, fame and glory. This is what you want, yes? Hmm, I believe Slytherin will serve you well… yes…”

Harry felt his heart pounding, the hat was silent for a moment before bellowing, “Slytherin!”

The hat was quickly lifted off his head. “I do wish Professor Slughorn was here, he is the head of Slytherin house.” Dumbledore said, smiling. 

* * *

After having been sorted, Harry found his way to the great hall with the help of Dumbledore, who on their way there talked to Harry rather excitedly about his favorite muggle candies.

“This is the great hall, we have three meals here everyday. I suppose I’ll let you walk in yourself, it’d be rather awkward to be accompanied by a professor to your table…” Dumbledore said, smiling at Harry kindly.

“Thank you,” Harry said to the professor before pushing the doors to the great hall open. Harry drank in the scene in front of him, the great hall was abuzz with energy. Four long tables filled the hall, one table for each house. The open ceiling was bright with floating candle and glistened with the night skies stars.

The hall echoed with voices and laughter. As he made his way to what he assumed to be the Slytherin table, (judging by the snake crests all the students had on their robes) he heard bits and pieces of many conversations. Some students turned to stare at him, and some whispered as he passed them.

Harry spent most of the feast sitting next to some fifth year Slytherins who kindly told him about the Slytherin house and some of the notable students in it. One girl, named Annäis, pointed out a sixth year prefect named Tom Riddle. He was seemed to be in deep conversation with the boy sitting across from him. “He is  _gorgeous_ ,” Annäis said. Though Harry thought she might have not meant to say this aloud, he silently agreed. Tom had black hair and pale, white skin, sharp cheekbones and a strong jaw.

Almost as if Tom sensed he was being stared at, he turned to look in Harry’s direction, and their eyes locked for a second. Bright green eyes staring into intelligent, dark brown. There was a sudden power between them, one which made Harry’s skin prickle. Harry awkwardly turned to look away, but caught Tom smirking slightly, before nudging his friends who also turned to look at Harry.

The feast went by relatively quickly, and Harry was tired and quite ready for bed. The food in front of them disappeared quickly. The headmaster made a quick speech, and as Harry started at him, all he could think about was what the headmaster had said in his letter to Harry:  “  _These are dark times we live in Harry and I am sorry to hear how you have been affected, in the worst way… I welcome you wholeheartedly to Hogwarts… be careful…”_

Harry was rather abruptly pulled from his thoughts as a hand touched his shoulder. Startled he quickly turned around to meet the gaze of Tom Riddle.

“I don’t think we’ve met before,” Tom said, “My name is Tom Riddle.”

_I know_ , Harry thought. “Harry Potter,” he said, shaking Tom’s hand. Harry noticed that other students were leaving the great hall, and there was a line of younger students behind Tom.

“You must be new then?” His voice was smooth and he articulated his words well.

“Yes,” Harry said, growing rather tired of that question.

“Well, I’m guiding these first years to the Slytherin common room. Seeing as your new you could walk with us so you don’t get lost.”

“That’d be great, thanks.” Harry replied.

Harry walked with Tom and the first years along the halls, down many stairs and to what Tom explained to the dungeons. Tom had quite masterfully captivated the younger students attention and told them all about Hogwarts, all the while also sternly explaining the rules of the Slytherin house.

“What year are you in?” Tom asked Harry conversationally once they neared the common room.

“Sixth.”

“Oh so you’ll possibly be sharing a dorm with me,” Tom said softly. Harry turned to look at Tom, who met Harry’s look with a small smile. Once again Harry felt the same pang of energy, sending a strange shiver down his spine. If Tom felt the same thing, Harry did not notice, but the other boy looked away and didn’t say anything else for the rest of their walk.

They entered the Slytherin common room through a concealed entrance, hidden by a painting of a dark lake. The common room was beautiful. Filled with dark green and silver chairs and couches and dark wooden tables and shelves, the room felt cozy and all the while perfectly represented the Slytherin colors. By some couches there was a fire burning, and students were gathered around it. The windows looked out into the depths of a lake.

Harry saw Tom join the group of students by the fire, who all turned to look at Harry. Feeling awkward, Harry decided to look for his dormitory. He headed down a narrow hallway dimly lit by lanterns. He neared the end of hall and climbed some stairs to find a few doors which had scrolls pinned onto them. He spotted his name amongst some others:

_Abraxas Malfoy_

_Orion Black_

_Montgomery Lestrange_

And most notably:

_Tom Riddle_

Harry opened the door. The dormitory looked much like the common room, except there were five beds with dark green tapestries. Exhausted, Harry quickly climbed into the bed which his trunk lay in front of, pulled the curtains closed and went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Usually, Tom would avoid getting up this early in the morning. He tried to get a good eight hours of sleep, which meant he would out of bed earliest at 7. However, he was currently lounging comfortably in the chair opposite his Head of House at 6.35 in the morning.

Professor Slughorn’s office was very similar to the Slytherin common room; with long windows at the back of the room looking into the great lake, dark wooden furniture and green couches. What stood out in the room, was the amount of pictures of the short, chubby Professor with previous students and current high positions wizards and witches.

“Did you have a nice summer, Tom?” Slughorn asked kindly as he poured himself and Tom a cup of tea.

“It was fine,” Tom replied, leaning forward, reaching for his cup.

“Right, thats good to hear,” Slughorn smiled tightly, taking a sip of  tea with a slightly shaky hand. Tom could tell something was bothering him.

“As you know, a new student arrived yesterday-”

“150 new students arrived yesterday,” Tom smirked, “but go on,” he said, waving his hand as Slughorn sighed.

“Out of those students,” Slughorn continued, “a boy named Harry Potter was sorted into Slytherin house, he is in your year,”

“I met him last night briefly, he’s sharing a room with us,” Tom said, “he is a transfer student correct?”

In his six years as a student at Hogwarts, there had only been two transfer students. Both of them had been rejected from every other magical school in Europe. In Tom’s opinion they were equivalent to squibs.

“That is correct,” Slughorn said, “I would not be bringing this up to you but Harry is a rather special case.”

“Special? How?”

Slughorn laughed lightly. “This is rather private information-” he said donning a more serious expression,“-but Harry is an orphan, his parents, Amandora and Edmund Potter died a few months ago.” The professor seemed rather upset by this.

Tom quirked his eyebrow in interest, leaning forward slightly.

“Why do their names sounds familiar?” He inquired.

“Both of them attended Hogwarts, about ten years ago. Amadora was a member of the club… one of the most brilliant witches I’ve ever known.” Slughorn said heavily, looking distantly at a picture on a shelf nearby.

“She became a healer, her husband, Edmund Potter, was an Ministry Ambassador, highly respected… They were killed in an attack made by Grindelwald and his followers two months ago.”

Tom nodded - he recalled reading an article in the _Daily Prophet_ about the attack. It had been the worst one to date.

“I’m getting off track,” Slughorn said, shaking his head, “Headmaster Dippet brought Harry in during the summer to review his O.W.L scores to ensure that his placement in the sixth-year class would be appropriate.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Tom said.

“What I mean when I say he is a special case, Tom, is that he scored above average, this is highly unusual for a student who has been home taught their entire life...”

“Good for him?”

Slughorn nodded. “Right yes, well I spoke with Headmaster Dippet late last night, he requested that I find someone to help Harry adjust to life at Hogwarts, show him around - make him feel welcome.”

“Alright,” Tom said. Where was he going with this?

Slughorn sat back in his chair and took another sip of his tea. “We both agreed that you, Tom, would be the most appropriate for this job, seeing as you are a prefect and can… _relate_ to his current situation.”

Ah - Tom thought bitterly. “So because I am an orphan you believe that I am the most suitable person to help the new troubled orphan boy?”

He couldn’t think of anyone less  appropriate for this job than him. He liked to maintain a close group of people, one which he had spent the past six years forming. Plus, he didn’t have time to look after the new boy, he had big plans for this year, ones which could not be put on hold.

Slughorn looked taken aback. “That's not at all what I mean Tom…”

“Of course it isn’t,” Tom said, leaning back in his chair, folding his arms.

“Tom,” Slughorn sighed after a moment of silence, “I was very close with the Potter’s and for that I feel as though I owe them,  make sure that their son adjusts to life at Hogwarts. The other boys, they’re lovely, but I do not trust anyone more than you Tom.”

Tom was slightly taken aback by his professors candor. The two had grown close over the past six years, but Slughorn had never praised Tom quite like this when they were alone before. Tom had a feeling that there was something the professor was not telling him.

On the other hand, Tom knew he would surely find a way to spin this into a favor later, which would prove quite useful in the coming months. Plus, he couldn't say that he wasn’t slightly curious about the new boy. Last night he had noticed a weird energy between the two.

“Okay, I’ll make sure Harry _adjusts_ to life here,” Tom said after a moment of silence.

* * *

 

Harry awoke the next morning in an absolute panic. He sat up, heart racing and stared at the dark green tapestry in front of him. He’d had a dream in which he had been back in his village. He had been walking down the street -it had been snowing hard, so hard in fact, that he had barely seen where he was going- looking for his parents. He needed to tell them something urgent, someone was coming and they needed to leave. Around him it had been eerily quiet, the silence filled only by his footsteps and heavy breathing. Suddenly, there had been a loud, piercing scream, and Harry had woken up.

Trying to regulate his breathing, Harry stared at the small stars on the green tapestry, counting them. Harry had had these kinds of dreams where he was looking for his parents and awoken in sweats before he founds them. Some dreams were worse, they were more like flashbacks to the night when he his village was attacked. Harry wondered if he could get a dreamless sleep potion from the medical wing.

Getting up from his bed, Harry glanced at the clock that was hanging next to the door to the dorm room. 6:30. Classes started at 8:00. Trying his best to not wake his roommates, Harry opened his trunk quietly and pulled out a fresh pair of clothes and robe, as well as his toiletries before making his way to the bathroom.

He closed the bathroom door behind him and looked in the mirror, noting his under eyes and the red marks on the bridge of his nose that had been caused by sleeping with his glasses on. He was still wearing his clothes from yesterday, too tired to change before he went to sleep last night. His hair was sticking in all kinds of directions, but of course, when was it not. Deciding that a shower would do him best, he quickly stripped and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water relax him.

After about twenty minutes Harry turned the shower off and cast a quick drying spell on himself, too tired to bother with a towel. He rubbed his hand against the now steamed mirror, and was met with his reflection once more. His piercing green eyes stared back at him. He sighed before grabbing hair gel from his toiletry bag and running his gelled fingers through his hair. Satisfied with his now slicked back hair, Harry dressed and headed out of the bathroom.

“About damn time, we thought you’d died in there,” a short boy with messy blonde hair and pale skin said once Harry had closed the bathroom door behind him.

“Sorry… I didn’t know i’d been that long,”

“So you’re the new roommate ‘eh? I’m Malfoy, Abraxas Malfoy ,” the boy said extending his hand for Harry to shake.

Harry took the boys hand, “Harry Potter.”

“We would’ve introduced ourselves to you yesterday but you were knocked out by the time we came back to the room,” another boy said. This one was much taller than Abraxas -maybe a good 6 feet tall. He had black hair, and piercing blue eyes. “Orion Black,” he said, smirking.

“Nice to meet you.”

“And this is Montgomery Lestrange,” Orion said pointing at the boy sitting on his bed, looking at Harry.

“Pleasure,” Harry said, looking at Montgomery, who only grunted in response.

“He’s not much of a morning person,” Orion whispered jokingly, winking at Harry.

Like Orion, Montgomery had black hair, but his was at least shoulder length and covered one of his brown eyes.

“And you met Tom last night,” Orion said, “he’s at a prefect meeting right now.”

“Right,” Harry said, making his way to his bed and setting his toiletries and dirty clothes in his trunk. He heard the bathroom door close and the shower turn on.

“What brings you to Hogwarts?” Orion asked conversationally.

“The war.” Harry said truthfully, turning to look at Orion and Montgomery, who were both staring at Harry. Orion looked rather pained.

“I’m sorry,” he said. There was an awkward silence that followed, during which Harry turned back to his trunk and pretended to look for something.

“We should go down to the great hall,” Abraxas said, coming out of the bathroom.

Harry made small talk with his new roommates (mainly Abraxas and Orion because Montgomery didn’t seem to want to join into any conversation this early in the morning) as they made their way to the great hall for breakfast. Abraxas had not so subtly asked about Harry’s blood heritage. Harry told them he was a pureblood to which Montgomery grunted approvingly and muttered something about mudbloods. Orion had rolled his eyes.

They made their way to the long Slytherin table where Tom was already sitting, reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. “Morning Tom,” Orion said happily, sitting next to the dark haired boy. “Morning,” Tom replied, not looking up. Harry sat across from him, with Abraxas and Montgomery on both of his sides.

“How did the meeting go?” Abraxas asked, loading his plate full of sausages and eggs before sticking his fork into the food.

“It was a mess, I'm seriously considering talking to Headmaster Dippet about the new prefects, their all complete idiots,” Tom replied, turning a page in his newspaper.

Abraxas laughed slyly. "Isn't that one mudblood from Ravenclaw a prefect now?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. 

"Hmm, yes." Tom said, glancing up from his newspaper to look directly at Harry. Their eyes met and Harry felt the same strange prinkle in his spine as he had the night before.

“How did you sleep Harry?” Tom asked casually. Harry noticed from the corner of his eye how Orion glanced at Tom with a slightly surprised expression, as if this question was out of character for Tom.

“Fine, thank you,” Harry lied, smiling slightly at Tom, before taking a sip of his coffee.

“So Harry,” Orion said, "did you attend Dumstrung before you came here? Or were you at one of those fancy French schools that have been receiving a lot of praise in the Prophet lately?"

Harry chuckled lightly, earning him a raised eyebrow from Tom. "I was home taught before I came here."

" _Really?_ " Orion said, seeming honestly surprised. 

"Yeah... Why's that such a surprise?"

"There's only two other home taught students at Hogwarts," Abraxas explained.

"Both of them are completely daft," Montgomery added. 

“Hmm, is that so?” Harry said humorously, studying Montgomery for a moment.

"I heard that they did so poorly on their basic wizarding tests that Hogwarts was the only school that gave them the time of day," Orion said. 

"Please tell me your not completely useless," Abraxas said, looking at Harry with a pleading look. 

"Now now," Tom interjected just as Harry was about to open his mouth. "I spoke with Slughorn this morning and I can assure you that Harry is not _completely_ useless."

Harry scoffed, "what else did he say?"

"To tell you that he sends you his regards, he claims to have known your parents."

Harry felt his heart jerk and looked at Tom, ignoring the tingling sensation in his veins. "Well you can tell Slughorn to fuck off." 

Orion quite literally spat out his water, whilst both Montgomery and Abraxas gaped at Harry. Tom looked simply amused. 

"Whats with the bloody animosity?"

"That's our head of house," 

"Merlin Potter."

Harry kept his eyes locked on Tom's. "He knew my parents alright... when they died contacted me practically begging for a portion of their money. Claims my mother owed him." 

"What if she did, owe him I mean," Orion asked cautiously. 

Harry turned his gaze to looked at the long haired boy. "Believe me, she didn't."

"Alright, you clearly have a grudge with Slughorn, only problem is that he is not only our Head of house, but also potions professor. I suggest you keep your hate for him to yourself, it will only lead to trouble." Tom said, almost threateningly. 

"Please," Harry scoffed, but didn't say anything else. Instead, he took another sip of coffee and looked down at his empty plate. It was clear that his roommates liked Slughorn and he really didn't want to get on their bad side on his first day here. He remained silent for the rest of breakfast, and instead listened as Orion and Abraxas discussed the upcoming Qudditch season. 

"Do you play?" Orion said, looking at Harry. 

Harry couldn't help but feel a little touched at Orion's attempts to include him in their group. "Sometimes, yeah."

"You gonna try out for the team? Slytherin needs a new seeker." Abraxas asked.

"I could... I haven't played in a few months though." 

"Well-" Orion was cut off by as a girl wearing a prefect badge came around delivering their schedules.

All of them examined their schedules in silence. Harry stared at the double potions on his Monday and Wednesday time slot... his heart pounding a little.

“My god." Abraxas said in an exhausted tone.

"You have double potions?” Orion asked him with a horrified expression on his face.

“I have that too,” Harry added

“Well boys,” Orion said, "may we rest in peace." 

"What?" Harry laughed gently.

"Year six potions is the worst. Its basically all theory and little work."

"If you're done complaining," Tom interrupted, "we should go."

"Yeah sorry," Orion said, paling slightly. The rest of the boys seemed to follow Toms actions as he stood up and began to walk out of the hall. Harry watched this interaction with interest. Tom seemed to be the leader of their group.

* * *

So there was a clear reason as to why Slughorn had asked him to befriend Harry instead of talking to the boy himself. _Harry hated Slughorn._  Tom found this rather amusing. Slughorn had a lot of great connections, but Tom had always wondered whether any of them actually _liked_ Slughorn. Tom surely didn't, but then again he didn't like anyone.

This had become even more evident during their morning potions lesson, during which Harry had completely ignored Slughorns attempts to talk to him. 

What had struck Tom most about the new boy however, was how unfazed he seemed to be by Tom. Sure, he was polite, but he did not cower to Tom as everyone else did. During potions Harry had laughed, when Tom's partner had spilled their potions all over Toms new robes. _He had laughed_. Both Orion and Abraxas had been horrified by Harry's behavior. Tom had to muster all his strength to not curse the boy then and there. But, because of his deal with Slughorn, Tom had only smiled tightly at the boy before casting a cleaning spell. 

Harry had disappeared after their potions lesson, and did not show up for lunch. Tom had taken note of how the boy had not eaten anything during breakfast. He had quickly pushed his thoughts of the boy away. If Harry wanted to skip lunch, then he could skip lunch. Tom did not care. 

After lunch, Tom hurried to Defense Against the Dark Arts. As he filed into the class with the rest of the students, Tom was surprised to find Harry already sitting at the back of the class, reading a book. Tom walked toward the boy, coughing lightly to get the his attention. 

Harry looked up, irritated, but seemed to relax a little as his eyes met Toms.

"Mind if I sit?" Tom asked, ignoring the tingling sensation in his veins. 

“Not at all.” The raven haired boy said, returning his attention to his book.  

“You weren't at lunch,” Tom said as he sat down.

“I wasn't hungry,” Harry said in a bored manner.

“You been getting around alright?” Tom asked, pulling his text book out of his bad. Trying to make conversation with him was becoming excruciating. Harry glanced at him.

“Yeah I have, thanks. That's why I skipped lunch. To just walk around, try and get to know the castle”

Tom could tell he was lying. “That's great.”

An awkward silence fell between the two. Harry kept his focus on his book. Tom tried to occupy himself by doing the same, but instead he found himself not so discretely staring at Harry. 

"Like what you see Riddle?" Harry asked humorously, looking up at Tom with piercing eyes. 

"You wish," Tom replied almost too fast, raising his eyebrows as Harry continued to stare at him. "What?" 

"You remind me of someone is all." 

Before Tom could ask what the bloody hell Harry meant by that Professor Angelro said as he marched into the class. “Welcome back, I hope you all had a wonderful summer. Now!” He said, clapping his hands, “Let’s get right into the lesson.”

Professor Angelro spent the half hour of the lesson talking about the N.E.W.T.S and how “this year of Defense was advanced and meant for only those who were truly committed to their studies.” Tom had smirked at this. Aside from Slughorn, Tom liked Angelro the best out of all the Hgowarts professors. The rather older man never wasted time and always kept the class in order. He also recognized Tom’s talent and did not try to undermine him.

“Now, I think we should get into today's lesson.” The Professor snapped his long fingers and a piece of chalk floated into the air and started to write what he was saying.

“We’ll be talking about a spell called Inifiga. Does anyone know what it is used for?”

Tom raised his hand along with a few other students. From the corner of his eye he saw Harry raise his hand as well. What struck Tom as odd was how his hand was half-lazily held in the air. This irked Tom.

"Ah! Our newest addition to the school, Mr.Potter,”

“Inifiga is a curse, specifically one used by those who practice dark magic. Those hit with the curse experience altered hallucinations based on their biggest fears.”

“That is correct,” Professor Angelro said. “Well, it is correct to an extent, I should say. But the caster has to be extremely strong for the curse to actually cause hallucinations-”

“-actually I think you may have mistaken the curse with Filiga, which causes hallucinations only if the caster is extremely powerful. Inifiga only requires the right amount of anger to work properly. ”

For a moment, it genuinely seemed as if the whole class had stopped breathing. Tom looked at Harry, slightly perplexed - no one interrupted teachers at Hogwarts. The raven haired boy however, looked rather bored.

Professor Angelro looked rather perplexed himself. “Alright,” he said, leaning against his desk, “I must apologize, I did make a mistake. Can you tell me the combative healing curse for Inifiga Mr.Potter?”

“There isn’t one.”

“There isn’t one -Sir.” The professor corrected. “Why not?”

Harry sighed. “Not every curse has a counter, just like not every poisonous potion has an antidote. With some curses, such as - I don’t know - Avadakedavra you can only try and dodge them, or cast another spell to block it.”

Harry’s arrogant tone was really beginning to get under Toms skin. 

"Well..." Professor Angelro said, clearly surprised. "Ten points to Slytherin."

Some of the students around them had turned to look at Harry, who seemed rather disturbed by the attention. 

Toward the end of the lesson, Professor Angelro had them practice the hand movements for the spell. Harry, who clearly knew the spell already, simply waved his wand before setting it down and turning to Tom, who was revising the movements. 

"Your hand should be more relaxed." He said. 

Taken aback, Tom simply stared at the boy. 

"You're too tense," Harry explained, extending his hand and gently touching Tom's wrist with his thumb. The touch felt like electricity, and Tom pulled his hand away quickly, staring at Harry in confusion.

"The bloody hell was that?" Harry asked, looking equally as perplexed as Tom. So he felt something too.

"Accidental magic?" Tom offered lazily, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible. His wrist still tingled. 

"Sure." Harry said sarcastically studying Tom for a moment before fixing his attention to the front of the class, where Professor Angelro was trying to help another sixth year Slytherin with the theory. 

Tom sighed audibly. He had to fight the urge to leave the class early and run to the library. The energy that had been sent through his body when Potter touched him was not normal, he knew that for a fact. There had to be a book somewhere in the library which could explain the connection. 

Five more minutes of the class passed, which Harry and Tom spent in silence, both pretending to read their textbooks, before the Professor dismissed the class. 

Tom took his time gathering his things, whilst Harry, clearly in a hurry, quickly packed his book and want and hurried out of the class. Tom took mental note of this... Potter was definitively... strange. 

The library was like a home inside a home for Tom. If he wan't in class or doing prefect rounds, he was usually here, studying or just reading for fun. Making his way to the librarian, he cleared his throat to get her attention. 

"Good afternoon Ms.Tenning," he said politely. 

"What can I do for you Mr.Riddle?" 

"Now this may sound a little odd... But over the summer holiday I came across a rather peculiar type of magic while reading a book, something about magical connections... strange energy between two wizards, I was hoping to learn more about it." Tom explained. 

Ms.Tenning raised her eyebrow, "not at all strange my boy... In fact I know just what you are talking about. You should be able to find some books on isle eight shelf three." 

"Thank you for your help," Tom said before walking toward the end of the library.

Tom spent over an hour in the library, skimming through all the books on shelf three. He had had no luck finding anything remotely similar to the connection which he and Harry clearly shared. Picking up the last book from the shelf, a dark green, heavy book, he returned to the nearby table where he had taken place, and started to skim through the pages ready to give up, when something caught his eye. 

 _The type of bond which soulmates share is a very dark, powerful form of magic_ , it said.  _Soulmates are forbidden in the magical world because of the amount of power the two wizards share between them. It poses a grave threat to society if the two decide to use their magic for evil. Because of this, there is very little information about soulmates.Those few who have been brave enough to be outspoken of their soulmates, have described their connection to be of great energy. One wizard said that he felt a constant, magnetic like force, between him and his soulmate. Another said that it was his skin was set on fire each time him and his soulmate looked at each other. A witch said that her soulmates name appeared on her skin and has remained there forever._

Tom read through the passage multiple times, each time his heart began to beat faster. The thought of having a soulmate, someone he was destined to love horrified Tom. He had never felt affection for anyone, let alone _love._  On the other hand, the power which the passage spoke of intrigued Tom greatly. He wanted to learn more, but the book contained no other information of the matter. 

If soulmates were considered to be a form of dark magic, surely he would be able to find something in the forbidden section of the library... he would have to talk to Ms. Tenning, say it was for a research paper. 

Tom closed his eyes for a moment, truly processing the current situation he found himself in. If what the passage was saying was true, then Harry Potter was his soulmate. What the bloody hell was he going to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to upload, I have rewritten it over and over again, but I think I am finally satisfied with it. I hope you enjoy.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh man, I've wanted to write a Tom / Harry fic for a while now, starting from their first year, SO here it is ! 
> 
> Please leave a comment if you enjoyed this first chapter or have any questions ! 
> 
> Thank you for reading


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